Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 17: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Wahid-ur-Rehman Para has made startling revelations regarding potential privacy breaches in the biometric attendance system implemented by the School Education Department in Jammu and Kashmir.
Raising the issue in the Legislative Assembly, Para questioned the government on whether any private agency was operating the Aadhaar-Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS). Expressing serious concerns over data security and privacy, he urged authorities to clarify who has access to sensitive biometric information of teachers.
“The biometric attendance system in the school department raises major privacy concerns, particularly for 67,000+ female teachers. Reports of phone hacking & data breaches are alarming. Urgent intervention is needed to safeguard their privacy”, he stated in the House.
Like other parts of the country, the biometric attendance system was introduced in Jammu and Kashmir to monitor the attendance of teachers in schools.
However, it is crucial to ensure that personal data is not being misused or compromised.
The MLA’s remarks have sparked a debate on the security of digital records and the role of private firms in handling biometric data. The government has yet to respond to his concerns, but the issue has gained traction, with calls for transparency in the functioning of the attendance system.
Education Department officials, meanwhile, maintain that the system was implemented to improve efficiency and curb absenteeism among teachers. However, with fresh concerns over data privacy, stakeholders are now demanding clear guidelines on data management and security protocols. |
